Category: Unsponsored

Remote Support – the exact meaning

A rather busy evening of 3 remote support requests tonight and by no means easy!

I had a request to get a printer working with Windows 8, no problem there only the printer was wireless and there were no usb cables anywhere for me to set it up. Given the self-appointed level of IT skills the remotee had it was going to be interesting to say the least.

In all honestly it wasn’t too difficult as I could get access to the wireless router web interface and could do that part of the wireless set up myself. It was just the instructions for setting up the printer that were going to prove interesting.

Maybe because I have been in IT for 20 odd years that I know what to do, maybe I take that for granted too often, after all if someone says that they do not know much about using a computer then I should expect a level of use that is very basic.

It still amazes, and amuses, me just what kinds of things people do when you have a remote session with them.

Closing every window that I open as I open them! You have asked for my help to fix something so please do not close what I open. It took a few gentle comments to get that to stop.

Following the instructions on the screen too literally – when it says select [this] and then press the OK button on the [device], it means do that on the [device] not the computer. No matter how many times you click the OK button on the screen with the mouse it will not do anything and will certainly not replicate that event on the [device]!

As I have a remote session, and as explained, I can see everything that is on your screen. Please, please, please do not feel that you have to read everything out to me, as by the time you have started to read it I have clicked the next button and am way ahead of you.

I’m sure that they will not be the only things that people will do.

The new family member

Today we picked up our new family member, a Springadoor that is yet to be named.

Having seen an advert in the paper for the puppies the wife subjected me to no end of questions relating to the logistics of going to see and get a puppy. They were questions that she could of easily answered if she had the `Make a decision` plugin installed! FFS

After arranging to go see the puppies we drive and meet the breeder. The puppies were in a big kennel with each other, 5 in total. The 2 that were for sale were picked out and given to us – a boy and a girl.

They were running around with mum and dad, who had now been let in with us, not at all bothered that 4 strangers were in with them. Our youngest was sat on the floor playing with them when one of the puppies came up to him, sat next to him and put its head on his leg. At that point the decision to a) have one and b) which one would we have, was made for us.

I reluctantly handed over my hard saved money in return for the puppy. Not only was it the money that I was putting towards my Surface RT tablet but it was also not the first time I have given money for a puppy!!!

The kids, and more importantly (so im told), the wife were beyond happy.

As part of the `deal` of us getting another dog, it is down to me to choose a name for her.
I formulated a few in my mind and suggested it as we drove home. The name Shurd being the one that I liked the most, and of course one that no one else did!

There is no rush to name her yet, well as far as I’m concerned anyway but the wife, the kids, the family and the in-laws don’t however agree with me.

Here she is …

Me and the new mutt The mutt The boys and the mutt

UPDATE – she has a name now – Muddy.

Do you ever wish that you never….?

An odd day today, one of those days that I kind of wish I could forget.

I kind of stumbled onto something that I have been trying not to stumble upon. While looking at some things on the net, I deviated from my normal looking pattern and found said thing. It kind of got me as it was tucked away with something and I wasn’t expecting it to be there.

I was properly shocked at what I saw, not because of the content as such, more a result of the content. I wasn’t banking on how it made me feel as it is not something that I was ever expecting to see – I guess the past few months might have given me some kind of inkling that this might have happened?!

Looks like I have to add this to the other things that I have experienced that I will never be able to forget.

8 hours of playing with Lego

Today was a rare day, not only a week off but the whole day with the boys, just me and them.

They decided that they wanted to play Lego and H needed to build up his Star Wars Lego ships that he had smashed up and T had just got a huge box of lego from Grandad! Curse that white haired old fool!!

So, we set about rebuilding various Star Wars Lego ships, which was not that easy when there were 11 boxes of Lego with each box containg a random selection of colours, sizes and shapes!
To add to the fun we decided not to sort it all out, but instead we thought spending nearly 2 hours looking for one small flat angled piece 1 square by 1 square!!

As a result of trying to find that bit, we tipped 3 boxes of Lego out on to the landing and into H`s bedroom! As you can see from the picture below

Lego!

By the end of the day I was crippled, by back and my knees were killing me. Its not easy to play with Lego all day, especially when your over 40 and kneeling down all the time.
But the boys enjoyed a day of Daddy time and to be honest I enjoyed a day of knee knackering, back breaking Lego playing with the boys.

Diet, dadfat and a department treat

Today I decided to treat myself to one last treat before I start my diet.

I managed to get hold of a huge Jaffa Cake Cake! using my connections and as a treat for the department I thought I would take it in and share – well I say share, I was contemplating eating it all myself at lunch time.

Only one Jaffa Cake for me

It reminded me of one of the few good times at BOR, where we would have a cake rota and take it in turns bringing in cakes every Friday. There were some lovely ones, ones with chocolate in them, some more with chocolate in them, some other ones with chocolate in them, some different ones with chocolate in them, some unique ones with chocolate in them and the odd ones with nuts in them!! WTF There was also the time that someone decided to hijack the cake rota and bring in fruit! WTF! Not fruit covered in chocolate, not fruit with a chocolate fountain, not fruit with a bowl of sugar but fruit on its own! And then there was the gag about someone dropping their muffin!
How I miss those days with Patsy and her wine bottles, Muffin Lady and her digestives and Haribo`s, Rfer and his shrine and The Hacker with his lady friends!

Anyway, a very nice cake indeed, I will make sure that I bring one of them in again at some point as it was one of the best cakes I have had!! I will however have to say FRO to the diet!

Dodgy Recruitment

Today I had the pleasure! Of dealing with a long standing issue – a dodgy recruitment company!

When I was made redundant, I signed up with quite a few sites etc. so that I could get back into work asap. Most of the sites I signed up with played by the rules but one company (or 2 as it now looks like) did not! Well actually I never signed up with them.

This is how it went…

First email was sent after I cancelled all my subscriptions and notified everyone that I no longer wanted emails

17/01/2012 – 4 Emails from Raymond Maccann – ok ill let them have that one as maybe the part time pensioner updating their database hasn’t come across the fact that I don’t want any more emails.

26/01/2012 – 2 emails from James McJarrow.  So I emailed James asking him to remove me from the database, also cc’d info@ and resource@ as valid emails addresses that I found on their website. The email bounced back with James McJarrow unknown? Strange as he had just sent me an email!?

15/02/2013 – 2 more emails from James McJarrow again! For a job in Aberdeen, FFS do they not read the areas where people live? I sent a reply asking who I need to speak to so that I can get more information about the job. This time it went through and I got a response saying it was him I need to speak to. No really! I asked him to remove me from the database. Nothing back

22/02/2012 – 2 more emails from James McJarrow again! This guy is obviously missing something up top! I let these 2 emails slide as maybe the now less than part time pensioner was on annual leave or something like that.

14/03/2012 – 2 more emails from the first spammer, Raymond Mancann (send spam emails) or it that Raymond Maccant (remove me from the database). Again for a job that didn’t mention any of the skill that I have! I sent an email asking him to remove me from the database. Again nothing. At this point I checked what I had sent in case I had sent a typo, you know it should say `Please remove me from your database` when in fact I typed `Please keep sending me shit emails as all though I am now in work I was only joking when I previously asked you to remove me from your database`
I am now sure that the database is an Excel Spreadsheet that has been replicated in several folders on their network and home computers, and are all out of sync, which is why my requests have fallen on deaf ears (no offence to part time pensioner).

14/06/2012 – 1 email from David Christian. I really thought they had listened to me and removed me as it has been months. But nice to see yet another new name sending me spam emails again. I need a macro key set up for this next bit [Reply to email, type `Please remove me from your database. Thank you. Gary` Press send]. So I recorded that and sent the resulting email. Again nothing!

25/06/2012 – 2 emails from David Christian. This time I pressed my Hot Key combination, G+F+Y, linked to the macro that sends a `Please remove me……` email. Surprisingly I get no response!
I now add a filter to my web hosting to reject anything that comes from @gregoryjamesgroup.com and set it to send back a message asking to be removed from the database, and also forward the email to an archive so that I can collect evidence for a case with the ICO.

23/01/2013 – 2 emails from Catherine McAteer, who appears to be the Office Manager. Maybe she will take note of the rejection message and remove me.

08/02/2013 – 2 emails from Mychelle Matson, who appears to be a Senior Resourcer. As the Office Manager hasn’t removed me from the database maybe she can. You know, I’m not convinced that the database is an Excel spreadsheet, I think maybe it must all be on a huge Word Document which the, now 1 hours a week, part time pensioner is struggling to cope with.

27/02/2013 – 1 email from Nathan Moring, another new person, who is Senior Consultant, maybe he will be able to read the auto response and remove me. I doubt it! I have nor removed the auto response and will handle them in a more aggressive way.

07/03/2013 – 2 emails from Nathan Moring. This time I have had enough, so I compose a lengthy email to him and send, basically saying that I will report him for spamming.
Email trail is below

Hi Gary,

I’ve removed you from our database.

Kind regards,
Nathan

On 07/03/2013 15:59, “Gary Rice” wrote:

Nathan

Again, I find myself getting emails from gregoryjames-group.com.
Please remove my email address from your company’s database so that I do not hear from you or any of your colleagues again.

I have never given you permission to use or email me.

I class these emails as spam and will report them to the originating ip address owner (web1.itssystems.co.uk – 83.138.131.88)

inetnum:        83.138.131.88 – 83.138.131.95
netname:        RSPC-UK-Steve-Jennings
descr:          Steve-Jennings IP Space
country:        GB
admin-c:        IA247-RIPE
tech-c:         IA247-RIPE
remarks:        rev-srv:        ns.rackspace.com
status:         ASSIGNED PA
mnt-by:         RSPC-MNT
source:         RIPE #Filtered
remarks:        rev-srv attribute deprecated by RIPE NCC on 02/09/2009
person:         IP Admin
address:        Rackspace Hosting 5000 Walzem, San Antonio, Texas 78218
phone:          +1 210 312 4000
fax-no:         +1 210 312 4000
nic-hdl:        IA247-RIPE
remarks:         ###  Rackspace Abuse Department
remarks:         ###  Please send any complaints to the following:
remarks:         ###  abuse @ rackspace.com
mnt-by:         RSPC-MNT
source:         RIPE #Filtered

If this request is not dealt with and confirmed within 5 working days I will be submitting a case to the ICO (http://www.ico.gov.uk/complaints/marketing/complain.aspx).

Thank you

Gary

From: Nathan Moring
Sent: 07 March 2013 15:12
To: Gary Rice
Subject: Linux Expert / Systems Engineer required, Luton


Good Afternoon Gary,

RE: Linux Systems Engineer required, Luton; £45-50K plus 10% bonus:

Worldwide IT solutions provider currently seeks an experienced Linux Systems Engineer to join their expanding UK headquarters located in Bedfordshire.

Acting as a subject matter expert for all technologies associated with server hosting, specifically those running Linux OS, the Linux Systems Engineer will be responsible for the development and maintenance of standardised configurations for all related technologies and for ensuring high-levels of performance and availability are delivered for associated services from their datacenter locations.

The Linux Systems Engineer will be accountable for ensuring all Linux based server environments achieve the best possible availability and performance, and for maintaining standard practices on specification, configuration and management of the Linux infrastructure. You`ll troubleshoot performance issues on web servers and databases, and be involved in the development of detailed best practice configuration, architecture schematics and relevant standard operating procedures. In addition, your role will extend to Data Center Service operations, Supplier Management and Resource optimisation.

The right Linux Systems Engineer will have solid datacenter experience, working with Linux server (including Apache & MySQL), SAN (including FC & iSCSI switching) and TCP/IP networking. In addition, if you have any experience of Windows server (including cluster services, IIS web server config/management), VMWare ESX or Vsphere, SaaS or cloud networking then it would be beneficial.

This is a superb opportunity for any experienced Linux Systems Engineer looking for a new role. If you`re interested and would like to apply please send me your CV asap.

Kind regards,

Nathan Moring
Senior Consultant

Gregory James Group
a 6 windsor works I sedley place I venn street I london I sw4 0ax
t 020 7078 9300 f 0870 013 6381 m 07985 524 770

twitter: https://twitter.com/nathan_psr
linked_in: www.linkedin.com/in/nathanmoring

This e-mail (which includes any files transmitted with it) is intended for the above named only. It may contain privileged, confidential and/or price sensitive information. If you are not the intended recipient please notify the sender immediately and confirm that all copies have been destroyed and it has been deleted from your computer system. This e-mail is protected by copyright. Unless you are the intended recipient you should not use, disclose or copy the e-mail nor should you rely upon it in any way whatsoever. All liability for viruses is excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, except where the sender specifically states them to be the views of Gregory James.

——
Scanned by The Email Laundry
http://www.theemaillaundry.com

 

At last, I have been removed from their database!!

03/05/2013 – An email from Michelle Herrington-Smith. She is reportedly from psr-rec.com. Now you might think she is not part of The Gregory James group but looking at the emails, and a pretty poor one at that – she called me Gregory (Gregory as in Gregory James??), makes spelling mistakes and then uses multiple fonts and no formatting to get the job description across! Seriously!
Towards the bottom of the email I noticed the same address as the Gregory James Group and a website copyright of the Gregory James Group!
So I send yet another email to Michelle Herringbone-Smiff asking to be removed, but with a bit more of a warning.
After a short email conversation, Mabel finally said that she had removed me from the database. Coincidentally I am now 99.9% sure that the database is not a database,  Excel Spreadsheet or Word Document, but is in fact a VisiCalc Document!
Anyway, here is the email trail.

I have gladly removed your details on Tuesday as you say 2 working days

Sent from my iPhone

On 9 May 2013, at 07:20, “Gary Rice” wrote:

Michelle

I do not think that trying to remove my details from your database, or collecting data for reporting your emailing practices is a waste of time.

But, thank you so much for confirming that my details are in fact on your system, not only that but with incorrect details.

Given that the 2 days stated have passed and you have not supplied me with the requested proof that I gave you permission to email me, it leaves me no choice but to submit my case to the ICO
http://www.ico.org.uk/complaints/marketing/complain

There is also the issue of Data Protection, given that I have not given Gregory James Group permission to email me, I find my details now in your hands. There are very strict rules about that.

I will also be reporting your spamming to your ISP provider.

MAIL.PSR-REC.COM – 213.123.113.63

inetnum:        213.123.112.0 – 213.123.119.255
remarks:        *******************************************************
remarks:        * Please send abuse reports to *
remarks:        *******************************************************
remarks:        * USED FOR CUSTOMERS WITH SINGLE STATIC IP ADDRESSES  *
remarks:        *******************************************************
netname:        BT-ADSL
descr:          Single Static IP Addresses
country:        GB
admin-c:        BTOW1-RIPE
tech-c:         BTOW1-RIPE
status:         ASSIGNED PA
mnt-by:         BTNET-MNT
mnt-lower:      BTNET-MNT
mnt-routes:     BTNET-MNT
source:         RIPE # Filtered

role:           BT OPENWORLD OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
address:        BT
address:        Openworld
address:        UK
abuse-mailbox:
admin-c:        AA12126-RIPE
tech-c:         AA12126-RIPE
nic-hdl:        BTOW1-RIPE
mnt-by:         BTNET-MNT
source:         RIPE # Filtered

route:          213.120.0.0/14
descr:          BT Public Internet Service
origin:         AS2856
mnt-by:         BTNET-MNT
source:         RIPE # Filtered

Again, and I do not ask the impossible, please remove my details from all databases that you have, it’s not that difficult to do.

Lastly, as I have not seen any objection to including you and your company in my blog post, I take that as “Yes”, so thank you, I will start writing that now.

Regards
Gary

P.S. A couple of links for you to look at when you have a few minutes after you spammed people

https://twitter.com/johnkavanagh/statuses/168022564860461056
https://github.com/drcongo/spammy-recruiters/blob/master/spammers.txt

From: Michelle Herrington-Smith
Sent: 07 May 2013 13:07
To: Gary Rice
Subject: RE: Application Support Specialist-London/Middlesex £30-£40k

Gary

How funny?  It states on our database that you live at our office

You must be an office ghost of the past

Please do not waste any more of my time

From: Gary Rice
Sent: 03 May 2013 17:30
To: Michelle Herrington-Smith
Subject: RE: Application Support Specialist-London/Middlesex £30-£40k

Michelle

Firstly who is Gregory?

If he is part of the Gregory James Group, as your Telephone Number and Website would indicate, then I have requested, more times than I care to count, that I be removed from your database.

I was assured by Nathan, see attached email, that I had been removed. As detailed on the email I class these emails as spam and will pursue my case with the ICO
(http://www.ico.gov.uk/complaints/marketing/complain.aspx).

I request that you supply me within 2 working days, the proof that I have signed up for or given you permission to send me emails.

Secondly, very nice use of multiple fonts and minimal formatting in your email below, it really makes it look professional quality. It will be something that I might be posting a blog entry about very soon, so I hope you do not mind a personal mention for you and your company/group of companies.

I look forward to receiving the information requested.

Regards
Gary Rice

From: Michelle Herrington-Smith
Sent: 03 May 2013 16:52
To: Gary Rice
Subject: Application Support Specialist-London/Middlesex £30-£40k

Gregory

Application Support Specilalst         London/Middlesex      £30,000-£40,000 Excellent Benefits Package

Customer Application Support Specialist required for well established Software Company based in London. The role will involve Delivering outstanding support experience to their customers, finding solutions to the problems, thinking analytically and working with other members of the Customer Support team to enhance product knowledge and resolve difficult systems. Ensuring that Calls and customer are updated regularly and as per agreed SLA. Experience of problem Solving, Troubleshooting while dealing with complex and critical incidents, have experience of call logging systems, please mention what call logging systems you have used when sending your CV. Good working knowledge of windows Operating systems, managing users and services rights. Experience in Supporting Web Applications ideally ASP.NET Or PHP. Experience of SQL Writing basic SQL Queries, experience with MySQL, or SQL Server or Oracle Databases at administration Level. You will be a team player and can work well under pressure. The company have a fantastic Customer base, this is a great opportunity for someone who wants a career to work in a Support role for the long term. The client offer excellent benefits package Pension, 25 days holiday rising up to 30 days depending on years of service, Private Health care and flexible working. Telephone interviews will be taking place this week and next week. Apply Now!

Have a loveley bank holiday weekend

Michelle Herrington-Smith
Consultant


PSR Ltd – A leading provider of IT Professionals & Talent Management Solutions    
a 6 Windsor Works I 68a Sedley Place I London I SW4 0AX
t 0203 489 9599 f 020 7627 2352 m 07805 721749 e michelle.h@psr-rec.com

This e-mail (which includes any files transmitted with it) is intended for the above named only.  It may contain privileged, confidential and/or price sensitive information. If you are not the intended recipient please notify the sender immediately and confirm that all copies have been destroyed and it has been deleted from your computer system.  This e-mail is protected by copyright. Unless you are the intended recipient you should not use, disclose or copy the e-mail nor should you rely upon it in any way whatsoever.  All liability for viruses is excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, except where the sender specifically states them to be the views of PSR Recruitment Ltd.
P Please consider the environment before printing this email.

——
Scanned by The Email Laundry
http://www.theemaillaundry.com

Hopefully that is that and I will not be receiving any more emails from them.

Rex strikes

Today was supposed to be feed time for Rex, seeing as it has been 5 days since her last feed.

However, H had not written down the last time that he fed her, so came a bit unstuck. Instead of feeding her we got her out for a bit of handling!

Now, I’ve told H plenty of times to keep his fingers together and away from her head as they look a little bit like a pinky, but as per normal he didn’t listen to me, and as soon as he put his pinky fingers in front of her she went for them thinking they were food. She clamped her jaws down on the end of his middle finger and then rapidly curled herself round his hand a few times constricting nice and tight.

Now, H was a bit surprised by this and a bit taken a back, so I told him to sit down and keep still and calm and see if she let go. Any other time she would of gone for his arm and soon let go when she realised that it was far too big for her to eat.

But no sign of and kind of let up, in fact she started to work her way down his finger. But this time , no matter how much I has told him to not panic and keep calm, he was starting to worry and get a bit upset.

Off we went to the bathroom where I tricked a bit of cold water over her head. It didn’t seem to make much of a difference, but then H was moving his arm around far too much which only made her want to constrict on it more. By this time he was proper upset and crying, saying that she was going to eat his finger. I had to laugh a bit as the thought of her eating his finger did seem rather funny, only to me it would seem though.

So again I tried the cold water, this time running the tap and putting her under it, this time she soon let go and coughed his finger up. He was relieved to say the least and couldn’t wait to let go of her.

Back to his room we went where I told him to hold her again for a bit just to show him that she wasn’t going to bite again. After a few minutes of handling her we put her back in her tank and we had a little chat about feeding and handling her. He couldn’t wait to tell mum what she had done to his finger 🙂

The cost of an accident ?

Today was one of those days that every parent dreads, your child has an accident and needs to go to hospital.

Thankfully this time my dash home from work was only 4 minutes and not the hour it was in my previous job, but never the less not something that I would want to do again.

It started off as a some what minor accident, falling over while walking down a slight slope on the way to school and ended up with a split chin, not only split but also in the shape of a T! A proper split and bits were hanging down.

So off starts the cost of an accident…

The wife was at work and had paid for car parking – £3
We go to the local minor injuries clinic and pay for parking – £3
We have to go to PAH A&E where we park and pay for parking – £3
As it takes longer than expected we pay for more parking – £4
As the boy needed to go under a GA we had to pay for more parking – £4
Some snacks as we had not eaten all day – £6.32
A treat for the boy as he had been a brave soldier – £29.97

Total cost of just falling over – £52.29